Dennis Millard is new Halfords chairman

29th May 2009 07:49

Car parts and bicycles group Halfords has named Dennis Millard as its new chairman following the resignation of Richard Pym last August.Millard, who's already started his new job, is currently chairman of newspapers and magazines wholesaler Smiths News. He's also a director at Premier Farnell, Xchanging and Debenhams. Former chair, Pym, left the group after becoming chief executive of Bradford & Bingley. Millard teams up with Halfords boss David Wild, who's only been in his current role since last August after Ian McLeod was lured to a large retailer based in Australia.Last month, Halfords predicted bigger full-year profits despite a dip in fourth quarter sales and plans to shut its chain of stand-alone cycle stores. Halfords expects to report a better than expected annual profit of between £92m and £92.5m, thanks to cost control and improved margins despite a 1.7% drop in sales for the 13 weeks to 27 March versus 2008. Like-for-like sales fell 3.8%. Last year's trading period, unlike this year, included the Easter break.